In Chillicothe, a group calling itself the Vicious Bunnies vandalized park bathrooms with racist graffiti; a similar offense in Athens could carry a fine and even jail time.
Earlier this month, Strawser Park's bathrooms were vandalized with references to lynching and other racial slurs. The words whites only and hang 'em high were also scrawled near a bathroom door.
Chillicothe Parks and Recreation Director Kathy Primer said there was some trouble in removing the graffiti.
This type of vandalism is a daily thing
but we only have so many employees and it takes some money and resources to remove it she said, adding the city has only five employees to maintain 400 acres of parkland.
Primer said she alerted the police of the vandalism in hopes the perpetrators would be caught and could clean up the graffiti themselves.
Chillicothe police have not made any arrests, but the case is still under investigation, Captain Pete Huffman said.
Although the city has insurance to cover the cost of cleaning graffiti, it couldn't afford the $1,000 deductible with an already strained budget.
Yet, three weeks later the graffiti was still on the walls and the public was starting to get upset, Primer said.
We never had any intention of offending anyone but we wanted to let the public know this was a problem and something had to be done
she said.
However, last week the owner of a power-washing business in Circleville offered to clean the graffiti for free, Primer said.
(The company) took the time to come down here and clean all of this up with no charge
she said.
Athens Police Department Captain Tom Pyle said graffiti occurs in the city, but usually is not racist or gang related.
Graffiti comes in spurts around here
he said. Sometimes people use profanity
but we don't have any problems with gangs or racist remarks.
Both city and county prosecutors said vandalism and graffiti isn't a big problem, but a person found guilty of tagging or vandalizing property could face jail time and a fine.
In the city, a person could face misdemeanor charges of either criminal damaging or criminal mischief, Athens chief city prosecutor Lisa Eliason said.
Criminal damaging is the worse offense, with a penalty of up to 90 days in jail and a $750 fine, where as a criminal mischief charge carries up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine, Eilason said.
However, in both charges a judge could order the defendant to clean up the damage or pay restitution as part of the sentence, she said.
Eilason said she remembers one case where a man was charged with criminal damaging after tagging the alley by Taco Bell, now Chipotle, 41 S. Court St. Athens
I had witnesses that saw everything he did
she said. I was ready to prosecute.
In that case, the defendant did not show up to court and the judge put out a warrant for his arrest; however, he still has not been found.
Damage to property valued at more than $500 goes to County Prosecutor C. David Warren, who said the penalty could be up to one year in jail.
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